The necessary decree on the transportation of 4½ poods could not, of course, at the same time fail to complicate the work of combating speculation and the regulation of the activity of cordons. Member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Food L. I. Ruzer, who was in charge of this work, submitted on August 29, 1918 a statement to the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Food, asking to be relieved of this work, given that I can find no more formulations for any orders in response to local requests. On Ruzer's statement A. Tsiurupa, who held a negative attitude toward "semi-pood rations," made the following note:

"None of the members of the collegium, nor the collegium as a whole, found those formulations which Ruzer also could not find. Conclusion: the decree of the Moscow Soviet must be annulled according to approximately the following plan: the decree is adopted by the SNK now and published; in the decree a deadline is indicated for the termination of the decree of the Moscow Soviet — approximately September 4-5.

A. Tsiurupa" (arch. I. L. No. 26454).

This prompted the memorandum of Lenin, printed below.

26491